To trace the crazy history of behind-the-scenes turmoil with Mel Gibson’s upcoming film “The Professor & the Madman” would be an epic task not unlike the writing of the English dictionary. Suffice it to say, it’s a miracle in and of itself that ‘The Professor’ is even getting a release, but here we are, just over a month away.

READ MORE: Mel Gibson Loses Court Battle Over The Rights To ‘The Professor And The Madman’

The trailer for the film starts as you might imagine any film about the development of the English dictionary would begin, with a murder and a criminal trial.

Continue reading ‘The Professor & The Madman’ Trailer: Bearded Mel Gibson & Sean Penn Write The Dictionary at The Playlist.

Thankfully, we have a trailer for the film, which gives us the first good look at the film, which has an incredible cast that includes Gibson, Sean Penn, Natalie Dormer, Ioan Gruffudd, and Steve Coogan.

Continue reading ‘The Professor And The Madman’ Trailer: Mel Gibson & Sean Penn Star In Film That Has Been Involved In Real-Life Legal Drama at The Playlist.

Terry Gilliam isn’t the only filmmaker fighting over the rights to a long-in-development film. We’ve covered the drama surrounding “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote” quite extensively over the last few months, but somehow the drama between Mel Gibson and Voltage Pictures has slipped by us.

READ MORE: Terry Gilliam Loses His ‘Don Quixote’ Court Case And No Longer Holds The Rights To The Film

If you’re not aware, Gibson has been involved in a bitter legal feud between his Icon production company and Voltage over the rights to the film titled “The Professor and the Madman.” The suit claims that Voltage failed to live up to an agreement, and therefore, should forfeit the rights to the film.

Continue reading Mel Gibson Loses Court Battle Over The Rights To ‘The Professor And The Madman’ at The Playlist.

On paper, there’s no reason why  “The Professor And The Madman” shouldn’t work. An adaptation of the great book by Simon Winchester, it tells the story behind the creation of the first Oxford English Dictionary by Professor James Murray (played by Mel Gibson), whose work became complicated thanks to the participation of Dr. W. C. Minor (played by Sean Penn), an inmate at an insane asylum.

Continue reading Mel Gibson’s ‘The Professor And The Madman’ Runs Nearly 3 Hours As Legal Woes Continue at The Playlist.

Mel Gibson is back in business in Hollywood, with last year’s “Hacksaw Ridge” aiding the actor and filmmaker’s redemption arc. However, it hasn’t taken long for Gibson to fall into one of the industry’s favorite pastimes — lawsuits!

Last year, cameras started rolling on “The Professor And The Madman,” an adaptation of the great book by Simon Winchester, about the creation of the first Oxford English Dictionary by Professor James Murray (played by Gibson), whose work became complicated thanks to the participation of Dr.

Continue reading Mel Gibson Sues Voltage Pictures Over Final Cut On ‘The Professor And The Madman’ & More at The Playlist.

When you hear the words “Oxford English Dictionary,” you might think of fussy British logophiles poring over musty books in the depths of a library. And while the OED is the standard when it comes to defining the English language, the story of how it came together is actually pretty bonkers. Which perhaps makes the casting behind this upcoming true story drama sort of perfect.

Mel Gibson and Sean Penn will be the unlikely lead stars of “The Professor And The Madman.” Based on Simon Winchester‘s terrific book (summer’s almost over, but it’s a great cottage read), the film will be written and directed by Farhad Safinia (who penned “Apocalypto”), and tells the story of the creation of the first Oxford English Dictionary by Professor James Murray (who will be played by Gibson).

Continue reading Mel Gibson & Sean Penn Team For Oxford English Dictionary Drama ‘The Professor And The Madman’ at The Playlist.